Eagles sign WR Joe Anderson, raise ticket prices

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly stands on the sideline as a play is being reviewed during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the New Orleans Saints, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

With Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper poised to test free agency, the Eagles signed a big wide receiver Friday.

The addition is Joe Anderson (6-1, 196), an undrafted free agent out of Texas Southern released last November by the Chicago Bears.

Anderson, 25, was active for nine games in two seasons with the Bears. He averaged 16.5 yards on five kickoff returns.

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The Bears had one of the biggest contingents of wide receivers in the league. The cast included Brandon Marshall (6-4, 230), Alshon Jeffery (6-3, 216) and Marques Wilson (6-3, 195).

Anderson capped a productive preseason with a huge game in the finale. Anderson hauled in a 37-yard pass from Jordan Palmer in the Bears’ preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. He finished with four receptions for 64 yards and a score in that game. But Anderson played exclusively on special teams for the Bears.

The Eagles hoped Arrelious Benn (6-1, 220) would add size and kickoff return ability. But the 2013 import from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed the season after injuring a knee at training camp.

Later the Eagles added Brad Smith (6-2, 212), a utility player who can play wide receiver and return kicks.

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A chunk of the 1,600 new seats the Eagles are adding to Lincoln Financial Field are in the lower bowl and require stadium builder licenses, also known as personal seat licenses.

Licenses near those areas on sale on websites generally start around $3,000 and depending on location can go up to around $12,000 per websites advertising them.

All of the lower bowl tickets require licenses.

The Eagles announced they’re raising ticket prices for 52 percent of the seats as they begin the second phase of the stadium revitalization project. About 5 percent of the tickets will decrease in price.

The next part of the project features new HD video boards and LED ribbons.

The new seating sections are in the Northeast and Southwest corners of the stadium and will connect the upper concourse, taking away a bit of those breathtaking views once you exit the covered portion of the concourses. Seats are being added on every level.

“With seats being added and the structure of our seating bowl changing, we took a step back and reviewed how the building was priced,” Eagles president Don Smolenski said. “We decided to adjust the prices in certain sections to more accurately reflect their value and popularity compared to other sections around the stadium.”